Although much progress experienced by women in the labour market, several challenges remain in terms of representation of women in strategic positions in Québec organizations, despite that they are more educated than men. Our study focuses on barriers contributing to this situation, particularly the effects of motherhood on career aspirations, and by extension on the career paths of female university graduates.
This qualitative study was conducted using primary data collected from female members of the Ordre des conseillers en gestion des ressources humaines agrées (CRHA) et conseillers en relations industrielles agrées (CRIA) du Québec. By our results, we have shown that a variety of factors - societal, organizational, individual and family - makes unreachable strategic positions in organizations by women. Among these factors, motherhood has the effect of negatively influencing the career trajectories by reducing the time investment in the work and the geographical and international mobility of women. Our results also argue that having children has the effect of directing career aspirations of women towards more balance. In this way, women would make choices promoting better work-family balance in their life. Thus, this career aspiration has the effect of influencing the career trajectories of mothers into jobs where flexible schedule is possible, as is the case of opting for self-employment or a job applicant does not travel outside, for example.
Finally, this study contributes to the literature on factors influencing women's career trajectories. In fact, the mediating effects of career aspirations between motherhood and career trajectories have been not very studied up to now. This study observes the mechanisms of career choice at this time of women's lives.